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A Women’s Day tribute to fathers
What you need to know:
APPLAUD THEM. Most times some women use the International Women’s Day to shoot at men while the men await Father’s Day. However, let us celebrate men who make us mothers, writes Loy Musingo.
No, I am not crazy, and I do have a mother, but I believe mothers’ day celebrations should include at least a shout out to fathers. Much more than a shout out, I would say...
Of course I know that Fathers’ day exists but in all fairness, the women have Women’s Day and it is primarily used for men-bashing which in effect nullifies all the good things said on Fathers’ Day leaving men with one option; getting a cut out of Mother’s Day, an equal cut.
I was reading an article about mother’s day and the lady mentioned that in her opinion, the job of fathers, actually starts nine months later... Oh, I do beg to differ. Before the mother ever becomes one, there has to be a father, as the former Lord Mayor would say the presence of the father is de facto.
Hurdles
Pregnancy can be hard for the mother, swollen feet, limited wardrobe choices and the frequent bathroom visits, it is arduous. However, it does not nullify the dad’s role in all this, he is present, and working hard too, frantically looking for the money for the delivery, carrying her bag in order to spare her extra five kilos (yeah it’s not the whole load but it is something). The back rubs, foot massages, and the near death experience of trying to run a red light in order to locate a bathroom fast because she is ‘dying.’ I could add to this list the chore of driving around in circles in order to find the perfectly roasted roadside cob of maize or whatever she is craving at that time. This does not start nine months later. No it does not.
Expectant fathers
I do not want to delve into all the grizzly details about how crime rates could be reduced significantly with the absence of absentee fathers (pun intended), but maybe I should. Do you know that children whose fathers are present in their life are better at mathematics than those whose dads were absent? Or that daughters choose life partners who bear an uncanny resemblance to their dad, if they had a healthy relationship? It is also a fact that foetal activity is increased when the father enters the room, they do recognise their daddy’s voice! Ever heard of Couvades’ syndrome, well the gist of it is that expecting dads can also have some of the symptoms of pregnancy more common among expecting mums such as nausea, weight gain and even false contractions. All this makes me want to be a mum in a hurry, ha!
Dead beat vs present
I’m aware that dead beat dads exist, and they do make my blood boil. By the way, it is so easy to be one, it is as simple as walking away. That is why the good ones should be applauded. They are present. They are there from when she pees on a stick to the pacing in the labour suite. They are there for the mood swings when the wrong coloured baby blanket could signal the beginning of a cold war. They are still there, hovering when the nurses wrap the baby in the new, ‘right coloured’ blanket.
I am just saying, parenting is a shared role, between the mums and the dads. In essence, parents share a lot of things, children for example. It is therefore a very simple matter that on Women’s Day, we also celebrate the people who make women what they are, the fathers.
unique men
Walk you to antenatal
Say sorry when in the wrong
Get false expectancy symptoms
Go to the labour suite
Care to know how you are doing
Take time to babysit or help with chores
